Modern data processing systems provide computer systems that manage and store large amounts of data. As an example, many commercial organizations such as Fortune-size companies, banks, mutual fund companies or the like often operate large and complex data processing systems that require access (storage and retrieval) to many hundreds of gigabytes or even terabytes of data. Large amounts of this data are often employee related data such as public folder files and electronic mail message data that an electronic mail program maintains in storage within the organization. Computer system developers have responded to these types of data storage and information sharing requirements by creating networks, hardware devices and software specifically designed to efficiently store and allow access to such data. Networks employing such equipment and software are referred to as storage area networks or SANs.
Typical storage area networks can store data of many different types, including electronic mail data (e-mail), file system data, public folder data, and the like. Elements of a typical conventional storage area network include one or more connectivity devices such as high speed data switches or routers that interconnect the various data storage systems to one or more host or server computer systems (servers) that require access (e.g., read and/or write access) to the data in the data storage systems on behalf of client software applications operating on client computer systems.
A developer or manager of a storage area network installs and operates one or more distributed storage area network management software applications within host computers in the network to manage or administer the various managed resources (i.e., devices, host computer systems, data storage systems, switches, database applications, etc.) that operate within the storage area network. A network manager (i.e., a person) responsible for management of the network operates the network management software application(s) to perform management tasks such as performance monitoring, network analysis, storage provisioning and remote configuration and administration of the various components (i.e., software and hardware resources) operating within the network.
A conventional network management software application may have several different software components that execute independently of each other on different computer systems but that collectively interoperate together to perform network management. As an example, conventional designs of storage area network management software applications can include management station programs such as console and server processes, several agent processes that operate on remote host computers, a store process to store data collected by agents. Also, many conventional storage area network management applications provide a reporting tool or application that allows an administrator to generate and view reports concerning the data stored within the storage area network. As an example, a file system tool can collect file system data and allow the administrator to view the collected file system data stored on various devices within the storage area network. Email reporting tools allow an administrator to view a total amount of email data stored within an email system. Such reporting tools usually provide a graphical user interface that allows the user to visually view amounts of data based on size.